Environmental Science

May 20, 2017

More Renewable Energy

​Solar cells, generators, and corn-based fuel. Students made solar cars and investigated other renewable energies.

May 4, 2017

​Renewable Energy

Different types of renewable energies are the current environmental science topic. Students will be exploring solar, wind, geothermal, hydroelectric, and other types of energies. Wind energy is the fastest growing renewable energy in the United states. Here they are assembling and testing model wind turbines. They are looking at various factors such and blade stye and pitch to see the effect each have on voltage output.

​April 21, 2017

​Water TestingWhat's in your water? The environmental students brought in various water samples and then tested them for bacteria, nitrates/nitrites, pH, hardness, and chlorine. (Normally we get lead and pesticide results also, but that test didn't work this year.) We tested well, city, pond, and river water as well as water from the school's water bottle filling station.

​April 8, 2017

ABOVE: GMO Testing Environmental science students crush and test corn and bean seeds for genetic engineering. The corn is engineered against certain pests and the beans are Round-up ready. These are provided by Iowa State University through their Biotech Outreach program. Thanks ISU!BELOW: Recycling After students collect and sort paper and cardboard recycling around NB Jr./Sr. High it is taken to the Butler County transfer station where it is weighed and recorded.

March 25, 2017

First bit of news...The black-footed ferret won the endangered species bracket! One thing we do as a class is paper recycling. March 17 was our most recent collect and sort day. They have to separate the cardboard and paper as well as any trash that may accidentally get in there. Also, any plastic and larger metal pieces such as the spiral binder on notebooks have to be removed. Our next focus is on food and agriculture and how they affect our earth. One of the labs has students testing soil. They figure out the soil type and then check nitrogen, phosphate, potassium, and pH levels. We will also be testing seeds for genetic engineering.

March 9, 2017

Environmental Science students recently spent time studying biodiversity and the effects human activities have on it. This year we ended the unit with and Endangered Species March Madness bracket. We started with 16 endangered species and assigned certain species to research. It was their job then to persuade and convince the rest of the class that their species is the one that would be best to give money and resources to for help. After all, I told them we only have enough for one. Then they would vote. We are down to the last two. Below are the bracket results and our finalists...How would you vote?